Silent Alarm
by Brightest Firefly
Summary: Ryan finds out the truth about Marissa and Trey sooner, and it all turns out different. RM, lots of fluff
1. Exposed

Takes place during and after The O.C. Confidential, then jumps to The Showdown, and how it might have played out if Ryan had gotten to Marissa's house a few minutes earlier.

* * *

"He probably shouldn't see you here," Marissa said, pulling Ryan out of Kyle's view. There was a pounding beat and people dancing all around them. She could feel his breath on her cheek and it took more control than she could find to keep her thoughts on the drug bust. He was wearing just a hint of cologne, and he was looking at her with those smoldering eyes. She was beginning to feel a bit light-headed, but sometimes Ryan had that effect on her. 

Jess broke the spell of the moment, dragging her away from Ryan, telling her that Kyle wanted an introduction. Marissa caught a glimpse of Ryan out of the corner of her eye, and knowing he was just a few steps behind her made her feel a little less freaked out about the whole thing. "Hey, look, I just wanted to thank you for hooking me up, but I kind of have a boyfriend." She wasn't entirely sure if that's what he was or not, but either way, it worked as a good reason not to get involved with Kyle. Besides, wasn't Kyle dating Jess?

"I _kind of_ don't care."

She wasn't sure if Ryan was still within earshot, but she could imagine the angry glare on his face if he was. She got a little nervous when Kyle stepped towards her, but then Ryan seemed to come out of nowhere. "Hey! Back off man. She's with me."

"You need to get out of here, bitch, this is a private party."

They heard sirens approaching and Ryan smirked. "Hope you enjoyed it 'cause it's gonna be your last." He turned to Marissa with a look that was stern but gentle. "Go back inside."

She'd missed him looking at her like that. She was about to go when Kyle lunged at Ryan. "Narc!"

Ryan hit him back and tackled him in the sand. He was holding him on the ground as the cops came closer. It looked like they'd both gotten a few hits in. Luckily, Ryan didn't have to hold him down for long because the cops arrived.

Kyle tried to bolt, but Trey opened the car door at the perfect time and knocked him back to the ground. "You okay?" he asked Ryan.

Ryan touched his nose and saw that there was a little blood. "I'm getting used to it."

Marissa stood by his side feeling a sense of security just from his presence. "I don't think I've ever seen you win a fight before," she teased.

* * *

Ryan glanced over at Marissa. They were finally alone and now that he finally had the perfect opportunity, he didn't know how to approach it. "So...it's been awhile...since we were..." 

"Alone?"

"Yeah without, you know, something-"

"Or some_one._"

"I guess we can do whatever we want." His hungry eyes met hers, saying far more than his words ever could.

"Well, what do you wanna do?"

Ryan felt his face flush slightly just at the thought of what that question brought to mind. When he got his mind a little bit out of the gutter, he looked back at her. He didn't say anything, but the look of desire on his face left no doubt in her mind.

Her eyes lured him in like a magnetic force and their lips met slowly. Before they could get into it, she pulled back. "Ryan, wait." He looked at her, slightly confused. "We've waited a long time for this."

"You wanna stop?" He was trying not to sound too disappointed, but after all this time, he didn't want to wait any longer to feel her lips kissing his, her hands in his hair, her body against him.

She offered him a shy smile and shook her head. "No, I just think we can do better than the front seat of Sandy's car."

Ryan was clearly relieved. "I know a guy who has a pool house all to himself."

"Do you think he'd let us borrow it?" She was loving the almost desperate desire clearly written on his face.

"Oh yeah," he replied in a husky voice.

* * *

Ryan parked the Range Rover in the driveway and he and Marissa hurried around back to the pool house. He pulled all the blinds down and she sat down on his bed, watching his every move carefully. It'd been a long time since she'd allowed herself to study his body. 

He joined her on the bed, and moved towards her to kiss her, but she pushed his shoulders back a little. She smiled reassuringly, and slid his shirt off over his shoulders. He still had a T-shirt on, and she would guess he had a wifebeater on under that, but those could come off later.

Their lips met with a year of built up passion, and things were heating up very quickly. "Ryan?"

Still nibbling on her lips, he asked, "Hmm?"

"Maybe we should talk before we do this."

"Okay." He lay down on the bed, and she positioned herself so her head was resting on his chest. He fought the urge to groan when she shifted slightly. The friction added to his arousal and he wondered if she was torturing him on purpose.

"Are we ready for this?"

"Getting back together?" He was trying to make the situation as innocent as possible in his mind until he knew where she stood.

She giggled. "No, sex."

"Oh, uh..." He really didn't know what to say to that. He'd been thinking about it, but hadn't been sure that that was what she had in mind when they came back to the pool house.

"I mean, I know it feels like we've been waiting forever, and we have, but we _just _got back together."

"Yeah, no, I mean if you don't want to..."

How she was resisting pouncing on him that moment, she didn't know. "Of course I want to. I just want to make sure that we're not moving too fast. I don't want to do anything to mess this up."

"We could wait." He leaned to kiss her temple. "I don't want our first time to be our last time."

"Thanks." She smiled tenderly at him. "It won't be."

He smiled lazily. "Do you want to sleep here tonight?"

"Sandy and Kirsten are cool with that?"

"Well, they never did give me the talk."

She giggled. "Okay. And by the way, you _do _snore."

* * *

She was snuggled up against Ryan with her back to him. She wasn't sure if he was asleep or not, but judging by the way that she felt every bit of him against her, it was unlikely. "Ryan?" she whispered into the dark. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm not tired. I don't want to sleep yet." She knew there was no way he was tired either.

His eyes widened in the dark and he tried to keep his voice even. "What do you want to do?"

She turned around to face him, and kissed him slowly and thoroughly. His hand that was resting on her waist ran up and down her side, causing tingling sensations coursing through her body. She reached for the drawstring on his pants and pulled it. "I think we should start making up for lost time."

* * *

That had been only a week ago. They hadn't actually had sex, but the way things were escalating, it didn't seem like it would be long before they were ready for that. But an hour or so ago, Marissa had run out on him, and he'd come to talk to her to find out what was going on. There couldn't possibly be anything going on between her and Trey, could there? He knocked on the front door and there was no answer, but he could hear distant voices inside. He went around to the back, which he knew they kept open. He hoped Caleb and Julie wouldn't be there, but glancing around downstairs, he saw no sign of them. 

As he started to make his way up to Marissa's room, he heard yelling on the other side of the door. "I don't want to hear it!"

He heard a muffled voice that sounded like Trey and quickly moved closer to the door. "Look, I just want things to go back like they were. And I never meant to hurt you."

"Me? What about Ryan? I mean, he's your brother!" The force in Marissa's voice took Ryan by surprise, and his heart sank at the knowledge that he was in Marissa's bedroom. "He loves you! He would do anything for you!"

Ryan leaned closer to the door so he could hear as his mind raced with all kinds of scenarios. "I said...I said I was sorry." Trey's voice was a mix of sharp anger and pleading.

"And so what?" Ryan wondered what Trey could have done to make Marissa so angry. "You know, you don't even deserve him as a brother."

"You don't want to accept my apology? Fine. But I want you to promise me you won't say anything to him."

Ryan leaned away from the door in confusion. What was he making her promise not to tell him? Would she agree to it? Her reply was sharp, and the tone of her words was cutting. "Get out. Get out before I call the police."

Police? Whatever was happening was getting out of hand. He reached up and rapped his knuckles on the door. "Marissa?" When he was met with silence, fear took over and he pushed the door open. He found them standing there several feet apart, her face red from crying and Trey glaring at her. "What's going on?"

Marissa looked at Trey coldly, demanding that he answer Ryan. Trey looked Ryan straight in the eye. "Nothing."

Marissa looked like she was going to cry again. Ryan prodded, "Didn't sound like nothing." He looked between his girlfriend (ex-girlfriend?) and his brother, begging one of them to tell him that it wasn't what he was afraid of.

"I'm out of here," Trey said, giving Marissa a warning look on his way out. "Later little brother."

Once he was gone, Ryan looked to Marissa for an explanation, but she didn't say anything. She crossed the room to him and fell into his arms, sobbing.

He hesitantly held her, torn between wanting to console her and feeling utterly betrayed. "Marissa, please just tell me what happened with you guys."

There were several seconds of silence which stretched on like hours for Ryan. "When you went to Miami for the weekend, Trey got a job at the Bait Shop. And we were celebrating and..." she choked on a sob buried her face in Ryan's chest. "He thought...he tried..." She couldn't bring herself to say it. "I didn't want it to happen."

He pulled back and held her face between his hands, forcing himself to remain calm. "What happened? Did you guys kiss? You didn't..." Ryan hesitated and swallowed trying to keep his emotions in check. "You didn't sleep with him, did you?"

"No! Of course not Ryan, I could never do that to you. He tried to kiss me, and when I told him no...he didn't exactly take it very well." She couldn't bring herself to say _rape._

Though he was starting to get the idea, he didn't want to believe it. "What did he do?"

Marissa took a deep breath and kept her eyes glued to the floor. "Promise me that if I tell you, you won't go after him."

"Marissa, what-"

"Just promise me."

Ryan didn't want to make that promise, but he didn't have much choice. "Okay."

Marissa pulled her top aside, revealing the bruise to Ryan.

His eyes widened and he leaned closer to examine it, raising his fingertips to her skin, but not letting them touch her. "Trey did this to you?"

She nodded weakly. "He was on coke, he didn't know what he was doing..."

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Ryan, no! Please, don't."

"I can't let him get away with this!" His anger was boiling and he mentally kicked himself for raising his voice.

"Please, I'm begging you, just let it go."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "How can you say that after he did this to you?"

"Because even more than I want Trey to pay for what he did..." She looked up, finally meeting his eyes for the first time since she'd rushed out of the pool house. "I don't want to lose you."

"It's my fault you were with him. I have to make it right." He made a move to leave, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Then just stay here with me." He hesitated. "Summer's got a punching bag. We can put Trey's picture on it and you can have your way with it. Okay?"

He sort of half-smiled and pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I never thought he would-"

"I know." She nuzzled his neck, finding the familiarity comforting. "We'll get through this." The held each other in silence for a few more moments. "It's a good thing you and Trey don't look too much alike," she laughed lightly trying to lift the somber mood.

He pulled back, and took her hand, leading her to the bed to sit down. "Look, I'm not going to pretend to know how difficult this is going to be for you. We can go as slow as you need to...but if you want to break up, I'll understand. I mean, I _am _his brother."

Looking at him at that moment, she wondered how that was even possible. "By blood maybe, but Seth is your brother. I find it hard to believe that you and Trey came from the same gene pool and had the same upbringing."

Ryan sighed. "As far as I know, we have the same father, but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't."

Another silence hung in the air, and Marissa moved towards Ryan. He looked at her confused as she slowly brought her lips to his. She pushed him back so that he was lying on the bed and after a moment, he pulled back.

"We don't have to do this."

"No, I want to."

"You do?"

"Well, I'm not ready for us to take things to the next level." He nodded, knowing that that was a given. "But I've always loved kissing you, and I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me. Oh, and I need to be on top. At least for awhile."

Ryan nodded, not wanting to think of the implications of that statement. "You're sure?"

"If there's one thing in my life I've ever been sure of, it's you."

* * *

Please review! 


	2. Unfortunate Events

Since I got quite a few reviews, I decided to continue with this. I don't own anything. If I owned Ryan, I wouldn't be writing about him.

Thanks to my wonderful beta, Bessyboo!

* * *

Ryan and Marissa lay in her room in the dark, neither saying anything. Suddenly, Ryan's phone rang. When he saw that it was Sandy, he whispered, "I should take this." 

Marissa nodded. "Okay."

Ryan turned away from her slightly, flipping the phone open. "Hello?"

"Ryan, it's Sandy. I, um...I need you to come down to the hospital."

He sat bolt upright, and Marissa looked at him with fear and question in her eyes. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Kirsten was in a car accident."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She's in surgery right now. It looks like she will probably pull through, but she's got a long road ahead of her."

Ryan sighed, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "Okay, I'll be there. Is there anything else I can do?"

"I haven't been able to get ahold of Seth. Could you keep trying to call him for me?"

"Of course. I'll start heading to the hospital now. I've just got my bike, but maybe Marissa could drive me." He looked at her hopefully and she nodded without hesitation.

"Okay. Is..." Sandy hesitated, "Is Caleb there?"

"I don't think so." He turned to Marissa. "Is Caleb here?"

"I think he's down in his study or something."

"Marissa said he's probably here."

"Okay, Ryan could you...you know, let him know? He hasn't been answering his phone..."

"Yeah I will. I'll see you soon, Sandy." Ryan flipped the phone shut and was silent for a moment while Marissa looked at him, hoping for answers. "Kirsten was in a car accident."

"Ryan..." she wanted to say something, anything to console him, but she knew nothing would do any good right then. She wrapped her arms around him and he held her more tightly than he ever had before.

"I should go tell Caleb, and then we need to get going."

She nodded and took his hand, leading him down to Caleb's study. She knocked on the door, a bit apprehensive. "I'm busy!" Caleb's gruff voice replied. Marissa opened the door and Ryan entered behind her. Caleb glared at Ryan. "I said I'm busy. Get out."

Ryan looked to Marissa for help. "Kirsten was in a car accident," she softly stated.

That got Caleb's attention. His eyes shifted from Marissa to Ryan. "Sandy tried to call but..."

"How is she?"

"She's in surgery right now. Sandy said it looks like she's going to pull through, but she's got a long way to go."

"Okay, let's go, Ryan."

A slight look of terror crossed Ryan's features. "Actually Caleb, would it be okay if I take him?" Marissa asked, after glancing over at Ryan.

He shrugged. "Sure, just get the boy there. For some reason, Kirsten seems rather fond of him."

Both relieved at having gotten away from Caleb, Ryan and Marissa got into her convertible, and Ryan pulled out his phone to try to get ahold of Seth. When he didn't answer his cell, he tried the house.

"Hello?"

"Hey Seth, it's-"

"Ryan, buddy, where were you tonight? Nevermind that, are you on your way home? I need a pool house talk-"

"Actually, Seth-"

"I told Summer I love her and then I got into this fight with Zach and she-"

Clearly there was absolutely no room for beating around the bush. "Seth! Kirsten was in a car accident."

For once in his life, Seth was silent.

"They think she's going to be okay. Marissa and I are just getting to the hospital. We'll see you in a bit. Okay?"

"Sure, yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

Sandy looked over at Ryan, Marissa, and Seth, and smiled contently. The doctors had assured them that with time, Kirsten would make a full recovery. The boys wanted to be there when she woke up, but Sandy thought it'd be better for them to go home and get some sleep so that they could be there when he got worn out. 

"Seth?" he gently shook his son awake. "Why don't you guys go home and get some sleep?"

Seth nodded, not entirely awake. He poked Ryan, who Marissa was using as a body pillow. "Home. Sleep."

Ryan shifted, causing Marissa to stir and look up at him. "Wanna go home? Get some sleep?"

Marissa nodded, but lay back down on Ryan's chest. He lifted her up and she nuzzled her face into his neck.

They walked out to the parking lot and got into Marissa' car as Seth called out, "See you at home!"

Since Marissa was still mostly asleep, they decided that Ryan would drive. However, on the ride to the Cohens' house she woke up some. Ryan handed her the keys and she moved over to the driver's side. "Are you going to be okay driving home?"

She nodded, but by the way she kept trying to snap her head back up, Ryan could tell she was too tired. "You wanna crash in the pool house tonight? Or you can sleep in the guestroom or whatever."

"Thanks," she replied, smiling weakly.

When they got into the house, Marissa headed upstairs to the guestroom. "There should be something in the dresser you can sleep in," Ryan called to her.

"Okay, thanks." She opened the top drawer and pulled out a nightgown that must have been Hailey's. She put it on, and thought to herself that Hailey had good taste. She imagined Ryan's jaw dropping if he saw her in it.

After saying good night to Seth, Ryan headed out to the pool house. All the blinds were drawn, and he didn't remember leaving them that way. When he opened the door and flicked the light on, he saw Trey sitting on the edge of his bed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He held his hands up defensively. "I just wanted to explain and apologize."

"You tried to rape her, Trey." Hearing the word out loud made both of them wince.

"I was on coke, I was out of my mind, and I thought she was into me."

"You've been doing coke? I should have figured since you've been fucking that coke whore."

Trey took a deep breath to keep from completely losing his temper. "She's just been there for me lately."

"So have Marissa and I, and this is how you thank us?" Ryan yelled.

"Yeah, you guys have been great." Trey smirked, taking a few steps towards Ryan. "Treating me like I'm some kind of trash."

"After what happened, could you blame either of us?"

"You've looked at me like that for years, Ry." There stared intensely at each other. "How do you think it felt, always being second best? Always hearing mom tell me that you're the good one. Mom, Theresa, all our friends, and now Marissa."

"Marissa gave you every benefit of the doubt. She never thought anything bad about you until you attacked her."

"Maybe if she hadn't been always hanging around, acting like she wanted me, being such a tease, the little skank-"

Trey's words were cut short by a swift blow to his eye. Trey stumbled back, looking at Ryan in shock. "Get out," Ryan through clenched teeth.

The tense silence was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Marissa stepped in wearing Hailey's nightgown with a sweatshirt over it. (While she was all about making Ryan's jaw drop, she knew that now wasn't the time.)"Hey Ry-" She cowered back when she saw Trey. She noticed there was a slight trickle of blood coming from near his eye.

Ryan took Marissa's hand. "Come on, let's go inside." He turned back to Trey. If he wasn't so drained, both physically and emotionally, he knew that his anger would more than make up for the fact that he wasn't as good of a fighter as Trey, but with the night he'd had, he felt a much stronger desire to curl up with Marissa than to pound Trey's face in and then get his own ass kicked. "If you ever come near Marissa or me again, I won't be letting you go with a black eye."

With that, Ryan turned and followed Marissa inside and up to the guestroom, stopping to set the house alarm on the way, just in case Trey tried to follow them. Marissa was on the bed, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. "You okay?"

She shook her head and rolled away from him.

"Hey," he said softly, turning her to face him. "I'm not letting him anywhere near you ever again. He can't hurt you anymore." She only sobbed harder and Ryan couldn't think of a single thing to say to make it better. "I'm going to go crash in Seth's room-"

"No," she replied, forcefully pulling him down beside her. "Stay here."

"Oh, okay. I thought you wouldn't want..."

"I just really don't want to be alone right now." She pulled down the covers, crawling in, and he followed. She rested her head on his chest as he protectively wrapped his arms around her. "Good night."

"Night," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

* * *

Please review! 


	3. Second Thoughts

Sorry there was such a long gap between chapters. Writer's block sucks. _

* * *

She screamed out, but no one was around to hear her. The wet sand somehow seeped into her clothing, as his hands did the same. She fought and kicked against him, but he continued pressing down into her. "Ryan!" She made several attempts to raise her knee and kick Trey with all the force she had left in her, but she never was able to hit him. His hands firmly held her in place and his anger seemed to grow exponentially as she called out his brother's name._

Her eyes flew open as she was suddenly pulled from her dream. An arm was draped over her, holding her tightly, but it was a very familiar arm. She let out a sigh of relief and tried to go back to sleep, but she was too shaken up. Ryan's arms, which had always given her a feeling of safety, now gave her feelings of anxiety. She slipped out of his grasp, and looked back at his sleeping form.

* * *

_He heard Marissa screaming his name, crying out for help, and he ran towards the sound as quickly as he could, but no matter how fast he ran, he didn't get any closer. Trey looked up from where he had her pinned down and grinned wickedly. "You don't mind sharing, do you little brother?"_

_Marissa started to disappear, sinking into the sand. He finally managed to tackle Trey away and he reached his hand down to Marissa to help her out. She grabbed his hand, and he started to pull her up, but before he could, Trey lunged at him, pushing him to the ground, beside the spot where Marissa was once again sinking. His entire body refused to move and he watched helplessly as she sunk beneath the sand._

When he woke up, he was alone in the bed. The sun was shining through the blinds and in the place where Marissa had been sleeping, there was a note. _I'm sorry, but I can't do this yet._

Ryan trudged down the stairs in a wifebeater, pajama pants, and slippers, and poured himself a cup of coffee. After calling Sandy to see how Kirsten was doing, he went back upstairs to wake Seth up.

"Seth?" When he was met with silence, he slowly opened the door, knocking on it and hoping that Seth was at least somewhat dressed. "Seth."

When Ryan lightly pushed his shoulder, he snapped around, still asleep. "No Jenga, Stew!" He had jolted himself awake and he looked at Ryan slightly confused.

"Sandy's bringing Kirsten home later today."

He rubbed his eyes, remembering the events of the previous night. "She's okay?"

"Yeah. A concussion and she's kind of banged up, but he said she'll be fine."

Seth sat quietly for a moment as if he was trying to decide what he should say, if anything. "Hey Ryan?"

"Yeah?" he replied, sitting down in Seth's computer chair.

"Is it just me, or have you noticed...things with Mom and Dad...have they been sort of...?" Seth trailed off nervously.

"Tense?" Ryan supplied.

"You noticed it too?"

Ryan nodded. "But they'll work it out," he stated with certainty.

"I'm not disagreeing with you," Seth began. "But what makes you so sure?"

Ryan looked down sadly, thinking of his own parents. "Because they love each other and they're committed to each other. And their family."

Seth could sense the slight sadness in Ryan's voice. "I guess we're pretty lucky to have them as parents then."

Ryan smiled half-heartedly. "Yep."

_

* * *

_

When Marissa arrived back at her house, she groaned when she saw that her mother's car was there. She braced herself for questions and lectures, but she made it to her room without running in to her mother. While she did want to avoid her mother, the empty feeling in the house irked her. She walked down the hall and knocked lightly on her mom's bedroom door. When there was no answer, she let herself in and found her mother still fast asleep, with rumpled tissues scattered around her, as well as an empty carton of ice cream. "Mom?"

Julie's eyes slowly opened and when she saw Marissa, she scrambled to clean up all the evidence of the awful night she'd had. "Hey Sweetie."

"What's wrong?" The caring tone in Marissa's voice surprised both of them.

Julie sighed. "You might want to sit down."

Marissa's eyes widened and she reluctantly sat on the bed beside her mother. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure," Julie replied fighting back tears. "Caleb is divorcing me."

"Why, what happened?"

Remembering that Marissa didn't know anything about the porno scandal, she decided to tell her a half truth. "He found out about my affair."

"With Dad?"

"Yeah. And you'll love this...he knows about Luke too." Julie sobbed, waiting for Marissa to tell her it served her right.

She was so used to seeing her mother as unbreakable and heartless, and to see proof that she was human was both reassuring and frightening. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Julie looked up at Marissa, wondering if she's heard her right. When she saw complete sincerity, she pulled Marissa into a hug. "We'll be fine, I promise. I'll do whatever it takes."

Marissa smiled and nodded, then turned to leave.

"Wait a minute, Marissa." Here it comes. "Where were you last night?"

Marissa hesitated. "I was with Ryan. He was over here last night when Sandy called about Kirsten."

"What happened to Kirsten?"

"She got into a car accident last night," Marissa explained. "But she's going to be okay."

"Okay, good. So you were at the hospital with Ryan?"

"Actually, Seth, Ryan and I went back to the Cohens' to get some rest." Neither woman knew why Marissa was suddenly talking to Julie more than was absolutely necessary.

"I see. And I trust that you're...being safe with that boy?"

Marissa nodded, a bit surprised that her mom had assumed she was sleeping with Ryan and hadn't started rattling off insults about him and trying to stop her. "Yeah, Mom. You can trust that I'm safe with Ryan."

* * *

Seth and Ryan sat in the living room, playing the new Star Wars game, when the doorbell rang. Ryan moved to go get it, but Seth held out his arm stopping him. "Wait." He extended his hand in the direction of the door, closed his eyes, and appeared to be in a state of concentration. 

"What are you doing?"

Seth held up a hand to silence Ryan. "I'm using the force."

Ryan rolled his eyes, and went to answer the door. He opened it to find Marissa smiling brightly at him.

"Hey!" She handed him a large arrangement of flowers. "These are for Kirsten, from me and my mom."

"Thanks," he replied, avoiding her eyes. He carried the flowers into the house and she followed him.

"Look, I was hoping we could talk."

Ryan's sad eyes met hers and he nodded. "Okay."

"About that note I left this morning..."

"Yeah, no, I get it. Time. Space. It's fine, I understand."

"No. When I wrote that...I had this nightmare last night, and I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just that I've been so confused lately, and I want to be with you so much, but sometimes my mind messes with me and the memories start rushing back."

He didn't know what to say, so he hesitantly hugged her, but she pushed back slightly so she could kiss him. He was caught off guard, but he soon met her rhythm, kissing her back. She kissed him with urgency and desperation, lightly moaning into his mouth.

"Let's take this out to the pool house, okay?" she asked.

They sat down on the bed together and Ryan laced his fingers through hers. "How about we make some new memories?"

She smiled. "Good idea."

His hand moved towards her chest and he moved her top slightly aside, taking a closer look at the bruise. "Is it still tender?" He was forcing himself not to think of what caused the bruise. Part of him was practically screaming to go after Trey and make him pay for what he did, but he didn't want to further upset Marissa.

"Not really. It only hurts if I bang it against something." He looked at her strangely, worried for a moment. "You know I have problems with doors!"

They laughed together, and for Ryan it was mostly relief. His face turned serious and he began a trail of kisses down Marissa's neck, pausing at the bruise. He placed feather kisses all over it. Marissa fought against the nervousness she felt and tried to concentrate on the fact that this was a gentle and caring Ryan lightly kissing her, not a forceful and angry Trey biting at her. It seemed like Ryan was trying to erase the cruelty of Trey's touch with the tenderness of his own, and she had to admit that it was working, at least a little bit.

She lightly pushed him down so he was on his back and she lay on top of him, kissing him. His lips eagerly met hers and after a few moments, he rolled her over so he was on top of her. Having realized what he had done just a second too late to stop himself, he continued to roll over so that she was on top again. When they came to a stop, Marissa looked down at him and laughed. "What was that? We're like a millimeter away from falling off."

"Sorry, habit. I forgot for a second that you-"

"Oh, right. Actually, I forgot too."

"So maybe I'll get to be on top again soon."

"Aw, you miss being the alpha male?" she teased.

He smirked. "Yeah, it gives me the illusion that I'm in charge."

She laughed and laid down on his chest. "As long as you understand that it's just an illusion."

They laid in silence for a moment, Marissa concentrating on the beat of Ryan's heart while his fingers absently ran through her hair. "So this weekend is prom."

"Yep. Under the O.Sea."

"Do you want to go?" he asked slowly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm social chair. I don't really have a choice."

He chuckled, "I mean, can I take you?"

She grinned mischievously. "That depends. Will you do something for me?"

He looked a tad suspicious, but nodded in agreement. "Sure. What do you want me to do?"

"Make me a paper maché octopus," she requested as if it would be even greater than the grandest romantic gesture.

He looked at her, trying to figure out if she was kidding or not. "Wow. No girl has ever asked me to do _that_ for her before."

"So, will you?"

"Uh, sure. I guess I can do that."

She kissed him on the lips. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Yep," he replied with a laugh.

* * *

Trey looked at Jess like she'd grown another head. "You want me to go to prom with you?"

"It's prom. I can't go alone." Then she added with a glare, "And it's not like Kyle can take me."

"No way."

She smirked at him. "Well, I'd hate to have to cut you off."

They both knew Trey was addicted, but he feigned confidence. "I think I can get by on my own."

"That's a bit tricky with the cops on your ass all the time."

His furious eyes met hers. "You wouldn't."

"You really think I wouldn't?" She smiled wickedly. "Is that a risk you're willing to take? You want to wind up back in prison?"

"Fucking bitch."

"My dress is crimson so my corsage should be in that general family." With that, she walked out the door.

* * *

Please review! 


	4. Prom Night

Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing this. Reading your comments really makes my day. Sorry this took so long. This story hasn't been flowing very well lately, but with the new promos have provided some inspiration. Not that this is at all based on any of that, because it isn't. Okay, enough of my rambling. I don't own any of the characters, and some of the lines are straight from the show. Enjoy!

* * *

As Trey attempted to tie his tie, he clung to the hope that Ryan wasn't the kind of guy who'd go to prom. The Ryan he knew had always hated dancing, so why go to prom if you weren't going to dance? But for all he knew, Ryan had been taking ballroom dance lessons since moving to Newport. Marissa seemed like the kind of girl who would really like that, and she had Ryan wrapped around her finger. Trey shook his head in disbelief. He never thought he'd see his baby brother whipped. He'd gotten a little softer and mushy when he'd been with Theresa, but nothing like this. 

He heard the door open, but didn't bother to turn around. "I still can't believe you're making me do this."

Jess smirked at Trey, and grabbed his hands, putting them at his side. She expertly tied his tie and looked him up and down with approval. "Yeah, well I wanted to go with Ryan, but he was already taken."

Trey was seething, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of letting it show. Of course she wanted Ryan. Everyone did. "Let's just get this over with."

When they walked into the gym, Trey felt like a fish out of water, but he certainly didn't look it. Jess clutched his arm proudly as several people stared at them, curious about this new guy. Trey recognized several of them from the party, but they were probably too drunk or high or whatever to remember him.

Jess felt Trey tense when the saw Ryan and Marissa. Jess stared daggers at the girl, who was completely unaware of her presence. She rested her head on Ryan's shoulder and her eyes were closed as they swayed to the music. She wanted to slap that dreamy smile off her face.

Ryan's head rested on Marissa's and his eyes slid over to Zach and Summer who were dancing a few feet away from them. He smiled, amused as Zach pulled out his phone, sighed in frustration, saying something about Seth, and then turned back to Summer, apologizing.

Ryan let his eyes wander, and they landed on Trey. The calm, content manner he'd had immediately disappeared and he stiffened. Marissa looked at him with concern and followed his gaze to Trey. She felt a chill run down her spine, and was bombarded with several negative emotions, primarily fear and anger. Ryan stepped in front of her protectively, trying to restrain himself from attacking Trey. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Trey held up his hands in surrender. "Look Ry, I'm sorry, I didn't want to come. But Jess-"

"What? Let me guess, Jess _forced_ you to come? Did she physically drag you here _against your will_?"

"Please just-"

"I don't want to hear it. Get out of here. Now."

Trey looked into his brother's eyes and saw nothing but contempt. They'd fought many times, but he'd never seen Ryan look anything like this. He turned to Jess. "We have to leave."

"Taking orders from baby brother? Pretty lame, Atwood." Trey turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Take another step and I'll have the cops on your ass before you can get out of the building."

Trey looked between Ryan and Jess, begging one of them to cut him some slack. When it was clear that neither would, he sighed. "Bye Jess."

She stared after him indignantly, before turning to Ryan expectantly. "You clean up nice." Ryan flinched, and squeezed Marissa's hand. "And I think you owe me a prom date now."

Ryan laughed bitterly. Marissa tugged on his hand, glaring at Jess. "Come on Ryan, let's go get some punch."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Trey was back in Chino. If Jess had actually called the cops, they weren't very efficient. When he got to the bus station, he realized he had nowhere to go. He got to the phone and started calling the numbers he knew by heart. 

Eddie's line had been disconnected, so he tried Arturo. He picked up after the first ring and sounded a little frustrated and his voice was low. "Hello?"

"Hey Turo, it's Trey. Can I crash with you tonight?"

There was an unvoiced pact between the old gang, so Arturo agreed, no questions asked. Unless… "Wait, you didn't break out of prison, did you?"

Trey laughed. "No, I was released a few months ago."

"A few months ago? Why didn't you come by before now? Get your ass over here! But don't ring the doorbell, I'll watch for you."

When Trey got to the Valejos' house, he looked next door at the house that he'd spent most of his childhood in. He felt a pang of sadness and regret, but refused to dwell on that now. The door opened and Arturo, pulled him inside, embracing him.

"You look good man. So where have you been since you got out?"

"Actually, I was staying in Newport with Ry."

"Newport, huh? Have you gotten all soft like he has?"

"No way. I'm not a spineless little bitch. Does he ever bother to come visit the old crew?"

Arturo hesitated. "Not recently. But hey, with the life he's got in Newport, can you blame him?"

"Guess not. I can't believe my little brother lives in some rich family's pool house, is fucking the homecoming queen, and has turned into a science nerd."

"He's a science nerd?" Arturo asked in disbelief. Trey nodded. "Really?"

"It's a miracle how much difference a little good parenting will make. The Cohens are really great."

"Yeah, that's what Theresa said too."

"Theresa knows the Cohens?"

Arturo bit his tongue, realizing his error a moment too late. On second thought, he probably shouldn't have let Trey stay with them in the first place. He was bound to find out about his nephew since they were staying under the same roof. "Long story. So if you've been staying with the Cohens, why do you want to crash here?"

"Oh it's just…I got into a fight with Ry. He's changed, ya know? He thinks he's too good for me now and I don't know if we'll work it out this time."

"What happened?" Arturo asked curiously. Something about that statement seemed off.

Trey looked at Arturo apologetically. "Could we talk about this tomorrow? I'm really tired."

"Yeah sure. Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

"Is she still staring at us?" Marissa asked Ryan. 

"Don't let her ruin this for you." His hands rested on the small of her back. "She can't do anything to us."

"I know. I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Shh," he whispered, kissing her temple. "Tonight it's just you and me."

She smiled, tilting her head to kiss his neck. "Perfect."

The song ended and the announcer tore them from their trance. "It's time to announce the homecoming queen and king!"

Summer appeared beside Marissa. "I think I'm gonna take off."

"I'm sorry, Sum. If you want I'll come over after this."

Summer hugged her. "Thanks. But you should be with Ryan. I'll be fine."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

Summer turned and started to walk away, and Ryan whispered to Marissa, "You were going to ditch me on prom night?" He smiled playfully.

"Well I wasn't going to ditch you until _after _prom was over. Besides, I didn't know prom was so important to you," she retorted sarcastically.

"Prom? Not so much." He grinned wickedly. "But the after part? That's what I've _really_ been looking forward to."

She swatted him playfully. "You mean when you spend some nice alone time in the pool house after you drop me off at home?"

"Yeah. That," he replied dryly.

The announcer's voice came over the speakers again. "And your homecoming queen is…Summer Roberts!" She hadn't made it to the door yet and the spotlight landed on her. She hesitantly walked up to the stage, as the students applauded. Marissa gave her a sympathetic look.

When Zach was announced homecoming king, Summer looked around nervously. "No one's coming."

It was quiet and awkward. A movement by the door grabbed Summer's attention. Seth. And he was quickly making his way to the stage. When he jumped up, Summer didn't know if she was thrilled he was there, or embarrassed by whatever he was about to do.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I got held up in traffic…I'm on stage."

"That's not Zach Stevens!" someone in the crowd yelled.

"No I'm not."

"Please step down. You're not the prom king."

"Seth Cohen's a tool!"

Seth grabbed the microphone and Ryan tried to keep from laughing as he watched this display unfold. "Okay, I know I'm not who you all imagined as prom king, seeing as how I'm not who any of you actually voted for, but…she's the queen." He dared a look into Summer's eyes. "And I love her, so I guess that that makes me the king."

"Cohen-" Summer started, nearly laughing.

"No, I'm just the guy standing next to you. You're the queen. I'm…the jester perhaps, if that works. So let me ask you this, your highness. What can I do to make it up to you?"

Summer started to respond, when Seth thrust the microphone towards her. She laughed. "Well, you could start by dancing with me."

Marissa turned to Ryan, grinning widely. "I can't believe those two."

"Yeah, wasn't it just a few hours ago that she said she would never speak to him again after prom was over?"

Marissa laughed and nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck, as his hands found the familiar place on her back.

"So now that you don't have to worry about keeping Summer company tonight…" he trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I was thinking maybe we could hang out in the pool house for a little while."

"And by 'hang out,' you mean 'make out,' right?"

He shrugged, grinning innocently. "I suppose we could do that if you _really _want to."

She kissed the spot on his neck that made him tremble slightly. "I _really_ want to."

* * *

Please review! Since this was originally a one-shot, I only have a vague idea of where I want to go from here. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Constructive critizism too. 


	5. Broken Ties

Thanks for all the reviews and sorry this took so long. The new promos have provided some inspiration. Not that this is at all based on any of that, because it isn't. Okay, enough of my rambling. I don't own anything except for my writing. Enjoy!

* * *

Trey awoke to the sound of a baby crying. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and when he did, he lifted up his blanket to shield himself from his surroundings. 

"I know baby, it's time for breakfast, isn't it?" he heard Theresa coo. She walked into the living room to sit down, and screamed when she saw that there was someone on the couch. "Arturo!" Trey winced, but didn't move from his spot on the couch, or reveal his face to her.

Arturo flew out of his room and was at her side within seconds. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you. Trey needed a place to crash-"

She disgustedly gestured to the lump on the couch. "Trey! As in Trey _Atwood_?"

Trey chose this moment to stop pretending he was asleep. "The one and only." He smirked at her with a hint of bitterness. Theresa, like Marissa, had denied him a chance to love her, devoting herself to Ryan. The good one.

Theresa held the infant tighter and looked pointedly at Arturo. "His mom left us a bottle of formula, but it's not in the refrigerator."

Catching on quickly, he nodded. "I'll go get some if you want."

"No, no, that's okay. I'll go. Could you just hold him while I go get dressed?"

She passed the bundle to Arturo. After Theresa was gone, he held the baby closely, whispering assuring words to him and kissing his forehead. Trey looked at Arturo skeptically. "I thought you hated kids."

Arturo beamed, holding the baby so that Trey couldn't see its face. "Not this one. So what happened with Ryan?"

"He's dating this girl, Marissa and she's like, the princess of Newport."

Arturo nodded. "Caliente. Sweet too. He's a lucky guy." Trey looked at him confused. "Thanksgiving? When you asked Ry to steal that car for you?"

Trey nodded, gritting his teeth. He wondered if Arturo had already sided with Ryan. Why even listen to Trey if Ryan's the perfect one? "Right, she seems really cool at first, but it turns out she's a manipulative, two-faced bitch." The night before, he'd practiced this story in his mind so many times that he was starting to believe it. "Ry went to Miami over spring break, and Marissa and I hung out while he was gone. We were having a few drinks, and before I knew it she was completely smashed. And I was feeling pretty good myself. She started getting all flirty and touching me, saying all this really personal and suggestive stuff…and dude, hot girl, 18 months of prison, and a lot of alcohol…there's no way I'd have turned her down."

Arturo hesitantly nodded. He was pretty sure Trey was lying. He didn't know Marissa well, but he'd known Trey his whole life, and didn't put too much stock in his word. Still, he already sounded angry, so Arturo wasn't going to question him. "And then he found out?"

"Yeah. But he thinks Marissa's this perfect angel who never does anything wrong, so when he found out, she told him that I came onto her, and then tried to rape her. And he believed her! He believed that stuck up rich bitch over his _brother_!"

"So you didn't come on to her?"

"What? No way! She's Ry's girl, and if I hadn't been so fucked up I would have told her no right away. But she kept pushing it and come on, I'm human. But now he thinks I tried to rape her."

Theresa stood in the doorway glaring at Trey. "Ryan must know that you would never do something like that." She walked around the couch and picked up the baby. Arturo looked between Trey and his sister, understanding the meaning of this exchange, but not wanting to believe it. "I'll be back in a little bit. Good to see you, Trey." Her voice was eerily calm as she walked away.

"You wanna tell me what the hell that was?"

Trey feigned innocence. "What?"

Arturo felt anger coursing through him. "Get the hell out of my house."

"Turo-"

"I'm going back to my room for a minute. If you aren't gone when I get back, you'll wish you'd never set foot in Chino."

* * *

During ride back to the pool house, Journey softly played in the stereo and anticipation hung in the air. As soon as he'd pulled into the driveway, he walked to her side of the car, taking her hand as she stepped out and he kissed her urgently, pressing her against the car door. 

"Mmm," she moaned, forcing herself to push him away. "Pool house."

Ryan took her hand as they shared a knowing smile. Once inside, she stood in front of him and without taking her eyes away from his, she pushed his jacket off over his shoulders, feeling the heat coming off of his chest. Next, she untied his tie, pulling it out and tossing it on the floor with his jacket.

He pushed her back towards the bed, and gently nibbled at her neck. She let out a pleasured groan, raking her fingers through his hair to pull him closer. He pulled back and reached behind her to untie her dress. When he came to a knot, she turned her back to him so he could see it more easily. After a few moments of fumbling, his fingers pulled the ties loose. When the dress was loose enough to pull down, he stopped and pulled back to look at her. His eyes searched hers and she nodded, letting him pull it down.

The dress puddled at her feet and she stepped out of it as his lips returned to hers. She could feel his growing erection as he pressed against her thigh, and excitement surged through her body. Suddenly she just couldn't get enough of him. She wanted to see more of him, touch more of him, and be filled with him. Her fingers worked quickly to undo all the buttons on his shirt and after he shrugged it off, she took a moment to admire the newly exposed skin before pushing him down on the bed.

He looked up at her, his eyes dark with lust as she pinned him on the bed. She positioned her body over his, rolling her hips, causing a small moan to escape his lips. His head fell back and his eyes closed, but not wanting to end it before it started, he grabbed her hips, halting her movements.

"Marissa?"

She nibbled on his ear, her hand moving down to the fly of his pants. "Hmm?"

He struggled to get the words out between ragged breaths. "Are you sure?" He gasped when he felt her grip him firmly through his pants. It took all his strength to keep talking when her hand moved up and down along his length. "I mean it hasn't been that long since..."

She let go and looked at him affectionately, feeling herself fall in love with him just a little bit more. "I'm sure," she replied, nodding affirmatively, pressing her lips against his. "But..."

She didn't continue; instead she nervously bit her lip. "What is it?"

"Before we do this, I think you should know...I haven't been with anyone since Luke, and only once with him."

Surprised and relieved, he smiled adoringly. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." He hesitated before adding, "Actually, I haven't since...well you know, that one time."

She was grateful that he didn't say any more than that, but also surprised that he hadn't with Lindsay or some random girl in Chino. "You do have a condom, right?"

"Oh yeah. I haven't left the pool house without one since I got back to Newport."

* * *

Seth opened the door of the limo Zach had rented and Summer climbed in. "Did you find Ryan?" 

"Nope. It looks like he and Marissa already took off."

"Not surprising. Those two have been, like, attached at the hip lately."

"I don't think it's the hip they're attached at."

Summer smacked him playfully. "Cohen! Ew! That's your brother you're talking about!" Seth let that thought marinate and Summer smirked at the disgusted look on his face. "Oh, can we stop at the diner and pick something up? I'm totally famished."

"Sure, we've got to make sure you've got plenty of energy tonight. Are we going back to my house or yours?"

"Yours," she replied quickly. "The step-monster is having insomnia issues now."

"Well I'm sure The Sandy and The Kirsten are in bed by now. I mean asleep. Oh that's so not the mental image I wanted right now."

Summer laughed and reached across the car to grab his hand.

When they got back to the house, Seth noticed that there was a light on in the study. As soon as they walked through the door, they could hear footsteps coming towards them. Sandy looked more disheveled than Seth had ever seen him. "Dad? What are you doing up?"

Julie Cooper appeared at the top of the stairs, her face stained with tears. In a daze, she walked down the stairs, to the kitchen, and got a glass of water.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Your grandfather had another heart attack."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He's gone, Seth."

Seth's face went pale, and Sandy wrapped his arms around him. Summer stood back, watching with concern.

"Are Ryan and Marissa back yet?" Seth asked.

"I don't know. I've been talking to Julie. She didn't want to be alone in that mansion tonight."

Seth nodded, understanding. "What about Mom?"

"She went straight to bed. She won't talk to anyone."

Seth looked down, miserably. "We'll go see if Marissa's in the pool house."

"Thanks, Kid."

Seth was silent as Summer led him out to the pool house. When he started to reach for the door knob, Summer stopped him. "Trust me Seth. You want to knock." She loudly rapped her knuckles on the door. They waited a minute and when there was still no response, Summer knocked again, louder this time. "Coop!"

Inside the pool house, Ryan groaned and let his head fall to Marissa's shoulder. "Okay, so I guess it's not Seth."

"Maybe we should just ignore it." Marissa had been waiting for this moment with Ryan for nearly two years and she didn't want anything to ruin it.

"Ryan, open up!" Seth yelled through the door. "I _really _don't want to see what's going on in there, but if I have to break in, I will."

"We should go see what they want." Reluctantly, Ryan and Marissa pulled apart. "Just a second!" Ryan called, searching for boxers and a wifebeater. He tossed one of his T-shirts, along with a pair sweat pants, to Marissa.

Ryan opened the door a crack. "What do you want Seth?" As soon as Ryan saw the look on Seth's face, he regretted his harsh tone.

For a moment, Seth looked like he didn't know what to say. When he spoke, the words came out so quickly that they surprised him. "Grandpa died."

Marissa appeared behind Ryan, wrapping her arms around his waist. She pulled open the door, letting Seth and Summer inside. "What happened?"

"He had another heart attack."

Ryan was struggling to make words come out of his mouth. "I'm so sorry man."

Seth smiled sadly. "Thanks."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Coop, your mom's inside."

Marissa nodded, kissing Ryan's cheek before walking to the main house.

* * *

Marissa lightly knocked on the door to the guest bedroom. "Mom?" 

Julie stood up and smiled at her. Marissa was all she had left, and as rocky as their relationship had been in the past, she'd made a promise to herself to change that. "Sweetie, I'm so glad to see you." She embraced her daughter, sniffling back tears.

"I'm sorry about Caleb."

"It'll be okay, Marissa, I promise. We'll be okay."

Surprised by the sincerity of her mother's tears, Marissa asked, "But are _you _okay?"

Julie wiped her eyes and composed herself. "I will be. Kirsten I'm not so sure about."

"They were really close."

Julie nodded. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. See you in the morning?"

Marissa hugged her mother again before heading back to the pool house. She ran into Summer in the hallway.

"You okay, Coop?"

"Yeah. How's Seth dealing with it?" Summer sighed.

"It's hard to tell. Right now, he just doesn't want to be alone, so I'm going to stay with him. How's your mom?"

"She's upset, but she'll be okay."

"Are you staying with Ryan tonight?" Summer asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, I should..."

"Me too."

"Night, Sum."

"Good night."

When Marissa returned to the pool house, Ryan was sitting on his bed staring blankly. Logically, he knew that the rift between him and Caleb wasn't his fault, but he stilled blamed himself, partially. "At least I know I didn't cause this one," he stated dryly. "Well, not directly, anyway." Marissa kneeled behind him, nuzzling his neck. "You okay?" he asked, and she nodded. "Your mom?"

"She will be." Ryan turned to look at her and she gently touched her lips to his. She laid down and pulled him with her so that his head was resting on her chest. As she lightly ran her fingernails up and down his back and through his hair, he finally let himself relax, settling his head between her breasts. She smiled down as his angelic face, the light of the moon making him look even more beautiful than usual. Several minutes later, when she was sure he was asleep, she whispered, "I love you," and allowed herself to go to sleep.

* * *

Please review and let me know what you liked and what I can improve on. Thanks! 


	6. The Dearly Beloved

A/N: I struggled with what to do with this chapter, because I didn't want to just do what canon did, but there were certain things about it that I wanted to keep. It wound up a little closer to canon than I wanted it to, but hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway. The chapter after this one will probably be the last.

* * *

"Where did you get that?" 

"Do you know how to use it?"

He took another long drag of his cigarette, debating. But the bottom line was he needed the money. He took the gun from her hand. "I'm not like a sniper or anything."

"Can you point it at someone like you mean it?" He gave her a hard look, and she smiled. "Then you get half." Trey ran his hands through his hair, wondering how he'd let himself sink so low. "Now I definitely…" Jess purred, standing in front of him suggestively. That was how. "Need to get some sleep." With a smirk, she retreated to his bedroom, slowly swaying her hips as she went.

At that moment, Trey wanted nothing more than to turn back time. Before _the incident_- he couldn't bring himself to admit he'd tried to _rape_ her –he'd had friends, people who didn't just see him as a criminal, and people who were helping him get on his feet financially. He had been clean, and for the first time in several years, he'd had hope that he could stay that way. And most importantly, he'd had Ryan.

They'd always had their differences. At times Trey would think he hated Ryan, but in the back of his mind, he knew it was more jealousy than animosity. Ryan had always come through for him, even when no one else would.

But this time, he betrayed Ryan on a whole new level. Well truthfully, he'd done it before, but that time Ryan hadn't found out. Besides, Ryan and Theresa were off again on again, more friends with benefits than boyfriend and girlfriend. Not that Ryan would be any less angry.

Trey realized that he had become everything that he had always hated about his father. He was forceful and violent with women, chemically dependent, and he'd hurt the only family he had left, the person who had cared about him when no one else did. Now he would add drug dealing to that impressive list of accomplishments. It wasn't like he really had a choice in the matter. Minimum wage wasn't going to pay the bills.

* * *

Marissa sat beside her mother during the funeral, surprised to hear soft sobs coming from her. She was glad her dad was back to help them deal with this. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed him until he'd appeared in the doorway that morning. 

As Ryan helped carry Caleb's casket, a strange pang of guilt came over him. He all but hated the man, but he was Kirsten's father and Seth's grandfather. He remembered Caleb's first heart attack and idly wondered how Lindsay had taken the news of his death.

Kirsten was devastated. She'd hardly spoken since they got the news and the blank expression etched on her face was scaring him. Seth had even mentioned that she hadn't been like this ever before, even when her mother died.

* * *

That night, at the gathering at the Cohen house, Ryan couldn't help but keep an eye on Kirsten. She'd always been a drinker, at times she even got drunk, but he'd never seen her like this. She was downing drink after drink and when Sandy tried to talk to her, her reply was angry as she turned away from him. 

Through the kitchen window, he saw her pull a bottle of vodka out of the refrigerator and take several gulps. He felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder. "Hey kid."

"Sandy, is she...?"

"She's having a really hard time dealing with Caleb's death."

Ryan nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

Sandy smiled sadly. "I'll talk to you and Seth about it tomorrow."

* * *

Ryan stood in the kitchen with Sandy and the doctor, nervously awaiting Kirsten and Hailey's arrival. Seth had refused to participate in the intervention. When she came in and realized what was happening, the look on her face sent a chill down his spine. He repeated what he wanted to say over and over in his mind, but after watching Kirsten speak harshly to Sandy and Hailey, he was scared. 

"Ryan, go ahead."

Kirsten eyed him with disgust. She hadn't looked at him like that since the morning after the party at Holly's beach house when Seth got drunk. "Oh don't you say a word, I let you in to this house."

The words stung and nearly silenced him. "That's right, you did. Because my own mom couldn't take care of me. She wouldn't get help even though I asked her to. I don't want to see that happen again to someone I love." He forced the last words out, unable to meet her eyes, fearing rejection.

She didn't reply to him, which was a relief, but a painful one. She looked at the doctor. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, _but I am not going!_" Ryan's stomach flipped with fear and she stormed out of the room.

Seth met her in the door way. "Please Mom, you gotta do this."

After a few tension filled moments, she broke down in a tearful, silent resignation. Sandy and Seth embraced her, and Ryan and Hailey soon followed. As painful as her words had been for Ryan, it didn't change the fact that he loved her as if she was really his mother.

* * *

After Kirsten left, Summer and Marissa came over. Seth explained what had happened and Summer suggested they go to the Bait Shop. Eager for some escape from the tension still hanging in the house, Seth and Ryan quickly agreed. As they walked out the door, Marissa grabbed Ryan's hand. "You don't think Trey will be there, do you?" 

"No, he works day shifts," Ryan answered, kissing her cheek.

But as soon as they got there, they ran into him. He eyed the foursome nervously. "Seth, I'm sorry about your grandfather." He extended his hand and Seth shook it.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan demanded.

"Just picking up my pay check." Trey held up his hands defensively.

"Pay checks are handed out on Wednesday," Marissa snapped.

Summer looked atMarissa in surprise. "Let's go find some seats. Seth, two Mountain Dews, okay?"

Seth nodded as the girls walked off. "What was that about?" Ryan and Trey only glared at each other. "Okay, I'll just be over here ordering the drinks."

As Jess grabbed Trey's arm, he looked away from Ryan guiltily. "Come on," she said softly.

Ryan's suspicious eyes followed them up the stairway. "Hey buddy, a little help here?" Seth's voice stopped his train of thought as he handed him two of the four drinks. "Well, that wasn't awkward at all. Let's go find the girls."

When Ryan sat down beside Marissa, he quickly gathered her in his arms, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's not your fault."

A rumble above them caught their attention. "Who's the bitch now?" A hush fell over the crowd as Jess pulled out a gun.

"You're gonna have to shoot me!" Ryan jumped from his seat and tried to see who the guy was, but he couldn't. He saw Trey standing beside Jess and his anger towards his brother was renewed.

Severalpiercing shotsfired, and Ryan yelled, "Everybody, get down!" Seth guided Summer under the table, leaning over her as Marissa crouched down beside Summer. Ryan quickly joined them and a few seconds later, the shooting stopped.

"Is everybody okay?" Seth asked.

Summer nodded and looked at Marissa, noticing blood coming from her head. "Marissa!"

Ryan saw it too, and for a second it felt like his heart had stopped. She moved her head up, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. She touched her hand to her head, and then looked at the blood on her fingers, horrified. "It's just broken glass," Seth assured her.

Ryan sat in the booth and propped Marissa up against his chest. Then he pulled off his top t-shirt and pressed it against the cut. "It'll be fine, but it looks like you're going to need stitches. Seth, could you-"

Summer snapped her cell phone shut and smiled weakly at Ryan. "Already did."

* * *

Ryan pounded his fist on the door, seething. "Trey!" 

Trey could hear the anger in his brother's voice and hesitated when he opened the door. "Ry, look, I'm sorry. Jess turned out to be a little crazier than I thought."

"So you didn't know she was dealing drugs? And carrying a gun?"

"No, I didn't. But I broke up with her. I told her we're done."

"Done? I've heard that before."

"Not everyone has some rich family to help them out every step of the way!"

"And not everyone has some jackass older brother trying to screw them over all the time!"

"I never _tried_ to screw you over!" Trey was beyond seething. "Do you know how many times I put my ass on the line for you?"

Ryan glared back at him, in disbelief. "How many times _you_ put your ass on the line for _me_? I almost got killed delivering that stolen car so those guys in prison would leave you alone!"

"You should have been the one in prison. I wouldn't have gotten caught if you would have just jumped in the damn car like I told you to." Even as the words came out of his mouth, Trey knew there wasn't any truth to them. But he was beyond rationality at this point.

"I wasn't the one who decided I needed to learn how to steal cars! I was doing fine-"

"Yeah, with AJ taking a bat to your head every time he got drunk? Stealing that car is what got you out of that hellhole. You're the one that got the good life."

"And now you're doing your best to destroy that! Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Marissa, they all took a chance on you. You hurt the people who mean more to me than..." Ryan trailed off.

"Than what, Ry?" Trey challenged, seeing the truth in his brother's eyes.

Ryan closed his eyes bitterly, avoiding the question. "Last night, after Jess pulled the gun, I looked over at Marissa and saw blood coming from her head."

For a moment, Trey looked horrified. "But no one got hit."

Ryan stepped forward menacingly. "This time. Was trying to rape her not enough?"

Trey saw that Ryan was about to snap, and decided to beat him to it. His fist slammed into Ryan's face, connecting with his nose. Ryan shoved Trey into the wall, bashing his head into it like he'd wanted to since he'd found out what he did to Marissa. With a sudden burst of energy, Trey forced Ryan backwards, and he fell onto the coffee table, shattering the glass. He felt the glass cut into his back and he looked up at his brother realizing that Trey had no plans of letting Ryan walk away from this.

Neither of them heard the door open. Jess threw her bag down inside the door and looked at the brothers in annoyed disbelief. "Trey!" she yelled and neither of the boys responded, or even realized she was there. Seconds after Jess arrived, Marissa threw the door to the apartment open, nearly running in to her. Marissa stood back quietly, wanting to go unnoticed until she'd assessed the situation.

She quickly took in the scene in front of her. Ryan and Trey were on the floor fighting, Trey on top of Ryan with his hands around his neck. Both were still oblivious to Jess and Marissa. Jess walked to the couch and pulled the gun out from underneath the cushion. Marissa froze, temporarily paralyzed by her fear.

Ryan used the last of his energy to push Trey off, and when he nearly succeeded, Jess released the safety on the gun. Both boys stopped and looked at her. "Baby brother. I thought we'd seen the last of you." He knew too much and he kept getting in the way.

Ryan and Trey remained silent, neither noticing Marissa standing in the doorway. She stepped closer to Jess, feeling the pounding of her heart through her whole body.

"What the hell are you doing, Jess?" Trey growled.

She smirked maliciously. "Don't let me stop you. I believe you were just about to kill Ryan."

Trey looked down at Ryan, who had turned a frightening shade of blue. He released his neck, but kept his shoulders pinned down. Ryan had already passed out from the lack of oxygen. "Fine. If you don't do it, I will." She aimed the gun at Ryan's head, which was a safe distance from anything vital on Trey.

Marissa, who had still not been noticed, panicked and grabbed Jess's arm. "Stop!" Ryan stirred, responding to the sound of her voice with a glimmer of hope. He struggled trying to see her through his blurry vision.

Jess whirled around and hit her across the face with the barrel of the gun. Marissa fell into the wall and looked at Jess, stunned. "Marissa Cooper. What a surprise." Her eyebrows raised and for the first time, Marissa saw all the anger and cruelty in her that she hadn't seen during their friendship.

Ryan mustered up as much energy as he could from where he laid motionless to the floor, "Marissa, go! Now!"

Marissa was still spinning from the blow when Jess turned back to Ryan. "Let's get this over with."

A split second before she pulled the trigger, Marissa lurched forward and used all her strength to tackle her. Caught off guard, Jess tumbled to the floor, pulling Marissa with her as Trey and Ryan looked on in disbelief. After a few seconds of wrestling, Jess had Marissa pinned down. Marissa's knee thrust into Jess's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Marissa took the opportunity to grab the gun.

Her hands shook as she pointed the gun down at Jess, then at Trey. "Get off of him."

Trey sighed with relief and obediently moved away from Ryan, and as he slowly got up, Marissa kept the gun pointed at him. Ryan wobbled to his feet, clearly having taken some harsh blows to his head. He made his way to Marissa's side, and leaned against her. She struggled to support him as she led him out of the apartment. He grabbed the gun from her, and for a moment, she panicked.

"The safety," Ryan mumbled in explanantion.

"What?"

He clicked it back into place and handed it back to Marissa. "Here."

Once they'd gotten into the car, Marissa didn't know what to do with the weapon. She decided to just put it in the glove compartment until she could talk to Sandy. "I should take you to the hospital."

"No. I'm fine." Marissa looked at him doubtfully. "Really, I am, I just need a few minutes."

Reluctantly, she agreed. "Okay, let's get you home then."

He nodded in agreement. When they got to the Cohen house, she led him back to the pool house.

"Do you know where they keep the first aid kit?"

"There should be one in my bathroom under the sink," he replied, sitting down on the bed.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Don't lie down, in case you have a concussion."

He smiled faintly. "Okay."

She returned with the first aid kit and kneeled beside the bed. "Where does it hurt? Is there anything you can't move?"

He wiggled his fingers and his arms. "Don't think so."

Gently, she rubbed a hot wash cloth over the cut above his left eye, before carefully applying rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball. He watched her as she nursed each cut on his face and gently kissed the bruises. "Okay, I need you to take off your shirt."

Ryan grinned mischievously, obliging her request. "Playing doctor?"

She met his eyes, trying to keep a grin off of her face. "Unfortunately, I'm not playing. Now be a good patient and hold still," she chided gently.

"Yes ma'am."

She helped him pull it over his head and first tended to the cuts on his back from the broken glass. When she had finished cleaning his back, she motioned for him to turn around. His eyes studied her face as she dabbed his chest with the cotton ball. As she moved further down towards his abdomen, he leaned back so she could see better. Soon he was flat on his back, watching her as she inspected his body. By now, the pain was dulling and giving way to more pleasurable sensations.

She pulled back with a smile. "All done."

"Thanks."

She could tell by the serious look in his eyes that he wasn't just talking about tending to his injuries. "No problem."

"If you hadn't shown up…"

Marissa pressed a finger to his lips. "But I did."

He nodded. "You did." After a beat, he frowned. "Why?"

"Seth said you'd gone over there to talk to Trey. With all the tension there's been between you guys, I didn't think anything good could come from it. I didn't want you to do something you'd regret."

His hand reached up to push a lock of hair behind her ear, then rested on the back of her neck, pulling her down to him. He brushed his lips against hers, slowly and sensuously. Dizzy with desire, she carefully straddled him, mindful not to put any weight on his injured body. She suspended her body above his, pressing lightly into him, teasing him strategically.

His arms pulled her down to him and a sharp pain shot through his body. Seeing his face, Marissa quickly pulled back. "Maybe we should save this for a time when you're feeling a little better."

Ryan begrudgingly agreed. "I heal fast."

She giggled, tenderly kissing his lips. "Good." She kissed him again. "But I should probably go."

He groaned his disapproval. "Stay?"

His eyes pleaded with her and she couldn't deny him. "Okay."

After putting on some of his clothes to sleep in, she laid beside him on the bed. Hepulled her into his arms, kissing the back of her neck, and whispering softly, his breath tickling her neck. She couldn't make out the words, but their effect on her was undeniable.

"You better heal _really _fast."

* * *

Please review! Next chapter is the last chapter. 


	7. The Baby Atwood

This chapter turned out to have a little more in it than I planned, so I'm breaking it into two parts. The end will be up within the next few days. Sorry for the long wait. I wrote and rewrote this several times, and I think I'm as happy with it as I'm ever going to be. My knowledge of the legal system is rather limited, so I apologize in advance for that. Please review!

* * *

"Hey Ryan, I need to talk to you about- oh shit! Sorry!" 

Ryan sighed with frustration and leaned his head on Marissa's shoulder as Seth retreated from the pool house. "You'd think he'd learn to knock."

"Or that you would fix that lock."

"Or we could make out under the dock."

Marissa swatted his shoulder and giggled. She lifted up his wife-beater to look at his back and stomach. "Well, clearly you're healing quite well."

"I'm as good as new. Better even." He kissed her teasingly, moving his lips down her neck. "You know, Sandy's going to be visiting Kirsten all weekend."

"Is that so?" Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. "What will you do with the house all to yourself?"

"I don't know. It might get _really _lonely."

She tried to think of some witty response, but all she could think about was the two of them alone for a whole night. She pulled his lips to hers, then slipped her tongue into his mouth and explored it frantically. When he rolled his hips she let out a little squeal of pleasure and pulled him closer. "I'll be here at seven on Saturday night. Okay?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah."

* * *

Theresa studied the baby's face as he slept soundly in her arms. Her mother was right; he was looking more and more like his daddy everyday. 

_On Thanksgiving Day, he'd shown up on her door step after being gone for five months. Five months! And he'd just stood there like nothing had ever happened with another girl by his side. It hurt like hell, but she knew she deserved it._

_The summer before Ryan disappeared, they'd started to become more than just friends with benefits. Sometimes he would stay all night, sneaking out just before sunrise. He no longer tried to hide his anger when Eddie would express interest in her. She would always assure him that she didn't like Eddie that way. She was falling in love with Ryan, but she didn't tell him and it was killing her. _

_One night in July, she'd heard the familiar tapping on her window. She helped him inside and immediately began inspecting him for bruises. "What did he do, Ryan?"_

"_Nothing. I just…wanted to see you." It was then that she'd decided she could no longer pretend they were just messing around._

_When she told him she loved him, Ryan had panicked, muttered something about promising Trey he'd help him with something, and then she hadn't seen him or talked to him in a whole week. She knew it was over, and she was not going to waste another minute waiting for Ryan Atwood. So she had finally agreed to go out with Eddie. Hopefully it would take her mind off things._

_She was surprised that she'd had fun with Eddie and as a testament to just how completely over Ryan she was, she'd invited Eddie in. He kissed her as they moved down the hallway, towards her bedroom. She swung the door open to find Ryan staring back at her. He held a single red rose and pain and confusion were etched onto his face, but it soon turned to anger. He'd ripped all the petals out of the rose, scattering them around the room. "Just came by to say that I love you too." He voice was eerily calm._

_He stormed out of the house and got on his bike. She called after him, running beside him on the sidewalk until her legs wouldn't move anymore. She knew he'd be at Trey's, so she decided it would be best to give him some time to cool off before she tried to explain. She had apologized to Eddie and told him she couldn't see him again._

_The next morning, Ryan's bike was still gone._

_The morning after that, she looked out her window and found AJ and another guy loading the furniture into the back of a truck. Still no sign of Ryan._

_The next day, the Atwood house was completely deserted, so she'd gone to Trey's house to look for Ryan, but Trey's roommate had told her that Trey had landed himself in jail. For five months she wondered where he was, if he was okay. Seeing him standing there on her porch brought back memories of all the nights she'd spent in his arms, all the nights he'd come to her window, the school dances, the musicals, the Kool-Aid stands. But now, seeing him with Marissa, it was clear that Ryan no longer belonged to her and never would again. She tried to tell herself that she had Eddie, but that was little consolation. _

_The very next morning, she'd gone to the jail to visit Trey. He was as close to Ryan as she could get now. Over the next few months, they developed a close friendship and her visits became a regular thing. When Trey told her he was going to be released early, she'd eagerly agreed to pick him up and said that he could crash with her for a few days. _

_They'd gone out to dinner to celebrate his new freedom. She couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her like Ryan did, smelled like Ryan did. One thing led to another and soon they were writhing against each other in the backseat of the car._

_She pulled back, realizing that she was doing what Eddie had falsely accused her of only two days before, right after he'd slapped her across the face and punched her in the stomach. _Fuck him, _she thought, pulling Trey back to her. As he started to peel off her shirt, she closed her eyes, getting lost in the sensation. And then it was Ryan on top of her, kissing her neck, hands cupping her breasts. When she opened her eyes and saw Trey, she felt sick. She felt like she was betraying Ryan. "Stop. Trey, I'm sorry, but I just can't do this."_

"_What Eddie doesn't know won't hurt him," he replied, pulling her shirt over her head and unhooking her bra._

"_No! We just can't do this." He'd tossed her clothes into the front seat, so she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover herself._

_Trey looked at her, his eyes wild, and she knew he was on something. His hand went up her skirt and his fingers slipped inside her thong. "Like hell we can't. You want this as badly as I do."_

_She slapped his hand away, clamping her legs together. "No."_

"_What, is it because of Ryan?" Trey demanded, his voice rising._

_She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry."_

"_So what has all this been about? Visiting me all the time, letting me stay at your house, that outfit you're wearing…"_

"_I have to go."_

"_No way. I've been waiting six months for this. You're going to finish what you started."_

_She had tired to move away from him but he pinned her down with his body and suddenly, his hands were everywhere. She closed her eyes trying to tell herself it wasn't really happening._

_The next morning she'd felt sick, sore, and heartbroken. She missed Ryan more than ever and she was determined to find him and win him back. At the very least, she needed his friendship. She got a catering job in Newport, and she hoped and prayed that she would run into him there._

The baby stirred, opening his eyes. He was an Atwood, just not in the way that she'd let everyone believe.

* * *

Next chapter is the last one. For real this time. 


	8. Full Circle

Last chapter! I've had a lot of fun writing this. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed. Enjoy!

* * *

"Jess, isn't this a little expensive?" He guessed that this was the most expensive hotel in Las Vegas.

"Just wait till we hit the floor tonight. Think you can teach me how to count cards?"

"You're only sixteen. They'll throw you out."

She pulled out what appeared to be a Colorado driver's license and grinned smugly. It had her name on it, the picture was actually her, and except for the address and date of birth, the rest of the information was accurate. "That's why I've got this. Now come on! If we don't get up to the room soon, I'm going to throw you down right here." She leaned against him, pressing her hips into his and biting his earlobe.

Something about the whole thing made his stomach churn. "This is wrong." He grabbed her hands and gently pushed her away. "I can't just keep running forever. I have to make things right with Ryan."

"Why?" she asked, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"He's my brother. And no matter what's happened, no matter what happens in the future, nothing can change that."

"Yeah, you're genetically linked; I get that. Unless you like, need a kidney or something, what difference does it make?"

She didn't understand, and he knew she couldn't. Most of the time, he didn't even get it. He'd never understand why Ryan put everything on the line for him time and time again.

"We're not leaving; we just got here! You and baby brother can kiss and make up after we've had our fun here."

"You can stay. I'll take a bus back." For a moment, he saw her face unguarded and it reminded him just how young she really was. "You'll be fine Jess."

He just knew that he couldn't live with himself if he didn't do everything in his power to get his brother back. But he'd start with Theresa.

* * *

Ryan watched the clock. It was only one in the afternoon and Marissa wouldn't be coming for another six hours. Sandy was visiting Kirsten for the weekend and Seth would be at Summer's house, so they wouldn't have to worry about interruptions. 

He was anxious and he couldn't tell if it was from anticipation or nerves. He'd fantasized and dreamed about it, since he first saw her standing at the end of the driveway. He knew that sex with Marissa would be different from any other girl he'd been with. When Marissa held him, he knew she wanted everything from him. While it was a bit overwhelming, it also touched something deep inside him knowing that she loved all of him. He often doubted that he was worthy of such devotion but she made it clear to him that that thought hadn't even occurred to her.

They'd waited so long for this and he wanted it to be perfect. He'd gone shopping that morning to make sure that he was completely prepared. Condoms, check. Candles, check. Sparkling grape juice, check. There were fresh sheets on the bed, and he'd gone to the grocery store to get everything he'd need to make dinner.

The next five hours stretched on like decades. The waiting was killing him.

* * *

Trey prayed that Arturo wouldn't be the one to answer the door. He heard shuffling inside and it seemed like an eternity before the door opened. It was Theresa with a baby in her arms.

When she saw him, her eyes widened and she clutched the bundle closer to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came because…" he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't remember what happened that night, but I know that I hurt you and I'm so sorry. I was on…it doesn't matter, I screwed up and I would do anything to take it back, but I can't."

"You felt so much remorse that you went and did the same thing to another girl?" she shot back.

"I'm a complete fuck up, Theresa-"

"Don't swear in front of the baby!" she hissed. "His mind is like a sponge."

"You baby-sit that kid a lot?"

"Yeah, his mom works full time."

"How old is he?"

"Trey, get to the point," she interjected.

"Right. Anyway, you know I'm a screw up. I want to change, I just don't know how. I'm really sorry and I hope that some day you can forgive me. When I went back to jail, I missed you like hell. I still do." This was as close to saying 'I love you' as he had ever come and he knew that after what he'd done she would never return his feelings, but he needed her to know.

"I can't. Not yet, maybe not ever." A tear slid down her cheek and she closed the door before he could say anything else.

Trey's shoulders slumped slightly, and he leaned against the rail on the porch. It had actually gone a little better than expected and he had a good feeling as he walked back to the bus station. He would do whatever it took for Ryan to forgive him.

* * *

"That was amazing. And here I thought you were only good at making grilled cheese!"

He smiled widely, picking up her plate and carrying it to the kitchen. "It's just one of my many talents. Now, I think it's time for dessert." He set a plate down in front of her. "I've never made cheesecake before, but hopefully it's not too bad."

It had a layer of brownies on the bottom and dark chocolate swirled on top. He'd poured strawberry sauce over it and now he was watching her, waiting to see her reaction.

She took a small bite first, and then quickly took another, bigger bite, devouring it eagerly. "You made this?" He nodded. "It's amazing. Seriously, like really amazing."

He took a bite of it himself, and discovered it wasn't bad. He'd never been a fan of cheese cake, but it was her favorite dessert. He smiled, watching her face as she devoured the rest of it. It was so worth it. When she finished, he stood to take their plates to the kitchen, but she grabbed snatched them from his hands, setting them back on the table and pulling him into a kiss.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly caught up to her pace, savoring the feeling of her body against his. She pulled back, her head spinning with desire, to catch her breath.

His eyes were hungry as he stepped towards her, pressing her against the wall. For a moment he just stared at her, drinking her all in. "Marissa," he whispered her name softly. The way he was looking at her made her feel like she was going to melt into a puddle on the floor. He slowly kissed her face starting with her eyelids, the moving to her cheeks, behind her ears, down her neck. His slow movements were torturous and that combined with the knowledge of what was finally going to happen, made her tremble against him.

When she trembled, he felt his pants tightening, so he pulled back slightly. He wanted to pace himself, make this last as long as possible. He only spoke to her with his eyes as he guided her to the bed. Though they both had known this moment was coming, neither could quite process that it was actually here.

He took her hand in his and their fingers intertwined, caressing and moving slowly together. She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed the tips of his fingers, feeling a twinge of pride when his breathing became shallow.

When she released his hand, he placed it on her cheek, running his thumb over her face and studying her. Her eyelids fell shut and she leaned into him, falling under his spell. She gasped when she felt his breath on her neck. His kisses were as light as feathers and his lips felt like silk on her skin. She felt a dull ache, a longing for him, spreading through her body.

"You sure?" he asked her as she pulled him closer.

She nodded without a hint of hesitation.

He knew that it was a big deal to her and it was to him as well. She had become such a huge part of his life that he couldn't imagine not having her in it in some way. The pool house was filled with memories of her. Breaking up, making up, making out, and just hanging out. The case of a DVD that she'd given him for Chrismukkah had been left on top of the television. On his nightstand, there was a picture of them together that Summer had taken at Trey's birthday party. Now there would be another potent memory of her forever ingrained in him.

* * *

Sirens wailed. Trey sipped his coffee and looked out the window of the diner where he sat waiting for the next bus to Newport. He watched as a car sped away from two police cars that were trying to corner it. In slow motion, the car spun around, tires screeching and it flew back towards the diner. He watched as it came closer and closer, popping up on the sidewalk, startling a few pedestrians who quickly leapt out of the way. The headlights shined through the window, blinding him.

He heard the sound of glass shattering. Everything around him was fuzzy, voices around him shouting frantically. Like a nightmare. The woman who had served his coffee now was kneeled down beside him. "Hold on, you're going to be okay."

The sharp pain in his stomach was telling him otherwise. "Tell Ryan that I'm sorry." His eyes closed and he felt all his strength leaving his body. The last image in his mind was of an eight year-old Ryan, looking up at him, pleading for answers and guidance and assurance, while the police took their father away. _What's happening, Trey? Why are they taking him away? _

* * *

Marissa woke up, snuggled against Ryan's chest. He looked so innocent when he was asleep and she knew that after their third round, he'd be sleeping pretty soundly. She watched his chest move up and down as he breathed in and out, letting her hand rest a little below his stomach. She kissed neck, the intensity of his scent making her want to ravish him all over again.

His cell phone rang, and she was surprised when he still didn't wake up. She reached for it and when she saw the Caller ID, she shook him. "Ryan, you should take this."

He mumbled something unintelligible, so she flipped the phone open. "Ryan's phone...Yeah, I'm trying to wake him up. Ryan!"

"Okay, I'm awake." He took the phone, still groggy. "Hello?" Marissa watched, holding her breath, as his face turned pale. "I see...Yeah, I can call Dawn; my guardian has her number." Marissa took his hand. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He snapped the phone shut and looked at Marissa with tears in her eyes. "Trey's dead."

"Dead?" She never would have guessed this.

"He got hit by a car. Drunk driver. The car was stolen and the police were chasing him."

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Ryan."

"He told the paramedics," Ryan hesitated, trying to hold back his tears. "He told them to tell me that he was sorry."

"Oh, Ryan." She wished she could say something to take the pain away, but she knew nothing would help. So she just held him.

The tears streamed down his face freely now and Marissa raked her fingers through his hair, holding his head to her chest so that he could feel her heart beating. The next few minutes felt like an hour. He seemed to come back to reality, and sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I have to call Sandy and Seth. But I just-"

Somehow, she understood. "If you want, I'll call them for you."

He nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

Half an hour later, Ryan sat in the living room with Marissa on one side of him, Seth on the other, and Sandy on the phone with Dawn.

He'd lost his whole family, though he realized he'd never truly had them to begin with. Since he was eight years old, he'd wondered what he could have done differently to keep his father from robbing that store. If he hadn't eaten so much or outgrown his clothes or asked 'Santa' for a bike for Christmas, maybe then his father would have stayed. Though his mom didn't officially leave him until he was sixteen, it had really happened when he was ten. She had left him for the bottle and he often wondered to what extent he'd driven her to it. Trey, he couldn't even bring himself to think about yet. One way or another, they'd all left him behind.

"Ryan?" Sandy asked softly.

"Kirsten's on the phone. Do you want to talk to her?"

He nodded, taking the phone from Sandy. "Hey."

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I know there's nothing I can say that's going to fix this, but just know that I love you, we all do, and we'll get through this together."

He fought back the tears. "Okay. Thanks." He gave the phone back to Sandy and saw the concern on his face as well as Seth's and Marissa's. So many times, he had expected them to leave him. Whenever he did something stupid or got in trouble, he thought they would turn away, but they just kept coming back. He wondered if it would be possible to get rid of them, if he wanted to. He didn't think he could, and he smiled softly as he realized he never wanted to.

This family wasn't going to leave him behind.

* * *

Fin. 


End file.
